Slovak President Peter Pellegrini called the transfer of MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine after February 24, 2022 a "mistake".
“I still consider it a mistake that Slovakia got rid of its MiGs, which at that time had no replacement“, the country's president wrote on his Facebook page.
“I reject the claims of the then coalition that the MiG-29s are just a pile of junk. If that were true, not a single one of them would have been able to fly from Slovakia to Ukraine. Even as Prime Minister, I had the opportunity to personally fly the MiG-29, and the aircraft was able to perform all its tasks.“
The current Slovak government believes, according to statements by its representatives and Prime Minister Robert Fico himself, that the free transfer of military equipment to Ukraine, carried out by the former cabinet, composed of representatives of liberal parties, has harmed Slovakia's security, leaving the republic without effective air defense systems.
Following the transfer of MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine by the previous government, Slovakia's airspace is currently guarded by the air forces of Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Slovakia plans to retake responsibility for the security of its skies in mid-2026.